Loneliness
by Saphira112
Summary: After Mello explodes on Near, Matt comes to defend both sides of the argument and just wonders who it is he loves between the two. Surprisingly, it can be seen as Matt/Near, Matt/Mello, or even Near/Mello. You choose. Rated for language and violence.


"Dammit, Mello, get the fuck out!"

"Stay the hell out of this, Matt!"

"GET OUT!"

Matt somehow succeeded in pushing Mello out of the room and closing the door, locking it. There came a few bangs on said wooden door as Mello bitched about Matt not taking his side on this and yelling about how Near was going to die and Mello was going to be number one. The normal, by Matt's standards. When the blonde finally stomped off down the hall – apparent by the thundering stomps as he went – Matt let out a long sigh before he surveyed the damage in the room.

Books were thrown haphazardly off the shelves and scattered on the floor. Toys had some of their arms, legs, or heads ripped out of their sockets and spread across the room. White puzzle pieces from a blank puzzle – minus the letter 'L' in the corner – were strewn all around in a circle. But the worst of the damage was the young boy sitting in the middle of the mess, his white clothes ruffled, his hair tousled more than normal, and a dark bruise blossoming over his left cheek.

Matt let out a low whistle. He focused on the albino in the center of the room. A small pale hand came up to touch the bruise, a visible flinch wracking the boy's body before he put down his hand. Near frowned. He picked up his favorite robot in front of him – one with the two arms and a leg torn clean off – and began sticking the appropriate limbs back in the sockets. He said nothing. Matt decided to ask.

"You ok?"

The boy didn't even turn around. "I am fine." He picked up another robot toy. "However, it seems Mello lost his temper a lot faster this time around." There was a small snap as he put the head back on the robot and placed it aside. "One who loses control of their emotions won't make it far if they are trying to succeed L."

Matt didn't really know what to say to that. He let out a long sigh and walked over to crouch beside the albino. "Want help?" After all, Matt had nowhere to be and had nothing else to do. Maybe a smoke, but he had one recently and his urges weren't kicking in yet. And his new DS game hadn't arrived. He needed something to do with his hands.

Near still didn't look up as he assembled another small robot toy. "If you wish." The boy tilted his head as he fit another arm in the toy. "Though I won't want your friendship with Mello to be strained because he thinks you're taking my side. It would be better if you were with him as it seems you are the only one who can get him to calm down."

Matt grinned to himself as he began picking up the scattered white puzzle pieces. "Eh, give him a good half hour and he won't be acting like a PMS-ing bitch; trust me on that." Matt began placing the white puzzle pieces in a pile on the blank board so they wouldn't be lost again. "Just don't tell him I said that."

"Don't worry." Near's voice was flat and virtually emotionless, as always. "I learned a long time ago that one shouldn't mention anything of the sort to Mello. Of course, that was back when he didn't use just his fists." Near's face was expressionless. Not even a hint of a smile.

Matt nodded slowly, remembering the time. Near had been much younger, as had they all been, and he had commented on Mello's looks, being blunt enough to cover the basic idea that Mello was feminine. That he was downright a female in disguise. And Mello had whacked the poor boy over the head with a rather large stick. Matt had to pull Mello away while Roger took care of Near, who had suffered a concussion, yet awoke with only slight head trauma. Near was lucky.

Matt finished picking up the white puzzle pieces and instead examined a miniature Transformers toy – Optimus Prime, of course. "I won't worry…" Matt then glanced up through his tinted goggles at the boy's face. The bruise seemed much darker with his goggles on. "You want me to take a look at that? Probably hurts like a bitch, I bet."

"The pain should ebb soon and it's not something life-threatening." Near's voice was deadpanned.

The gamer insisted. "Eh, lemme take a look anyhow."

Matt put down the toy and removed his gloves. He knelt next to Near and reached out. The boy eyed him, but froze as Matt's fingertips brushed his cheeks. Matt used his fingers to nudge Near's head to the side to get a better look at the bruise. It was hard to tell through his goggles just how bad it was, so Matt – in the spur of the moment – slipped them off, putting them on his head. He looked more closely at the bruise.

It was rather large, extending from the corner of the boy's mouth across his face to an inch or two away from his ear. It was a sickish kind of purple and black, which contrasted badly with the albino's pale skin. There were faint knuckle marks in the bruise that – thankfully – were rapidly fading.

Matt let out another low whistle as he used his hands to turn Near's head slightly every now and then to get a better look. Of course, he didn't notice the faint pink tint rising to the boy's cheeks.

"That's gonna be there for a good week if ya ask me," Matt finally said as he ran a finger lightly over the bruise, causing Near to wince.

Near finally moved his head away from Matt's hands and stared at the gamer, trying to piece things together. "Why the sudden interesting in my well-being, Matt?"

Matt snorted. "You think it's sudden?"

Near glanced off for a moment before meeting the gamer's eyes again. What wasn't making sense here?

Matt found himself chuckling a little. "Never mind." Then he was serious again. "Does it hurt?"

"I believe I already answered that question." Leave it to Near to be curt and blunt.

Matt shook his head, no longer smiling. "No, not the bruise." He lightly tapped the left side of Near's chest. "There?"

Near gave Matt an incredulous look. "I wasn't hit in the chest."

Matt sighed. Despite Near being the smartest of them all, he was still somewhat… naïve. "I'm not talking about physical pain." Again, he tapped Near's chest and placed emphasis on his word. "_Here_."

It clicked. A weird look crossed the albino's face. "I suppose; yes. But surely it is not so unusual to feel this way?"

Matt frowned. "You think it's nothing?"

"Yes." There was no hesitance.

Matt sighed and stood up. "I don't think so."

Near tilted his head, raising an eyebrow, but otherwise having no expression. "Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Because I know only one other person in this place that feels that way."

Only one other person? That didn't make sense. What Near felt was normal… wasn't it? Why didn't everyone at the orphanage feel it? "Who?"

Matt sighed. "Mello."

Oh.

_Oh…_

Near watched as Matt put his gloves back on his hands, his goggles back over his eyes before he walked to the door, saying something about hoping the boy would take care of himself – bruise included – before he left. Near frowned and looked at the still-broken toys. He understood. But wasn't sure what to do.

On the other side of the door, Matt sighed and turned to face Mello, who had his arms crossed. The gamer found himself staring hard. "You didn't have to get that carried away. Roger's gonna kill you."

Mello shrugged nonchalantly. "I got my point across."

Matt put his hands in his pockets. "You obviously didn't; otherwise, you wouldn't have needed me to intervene. He was downright confused when I said something."

"Not surprised; little fucker can't feel a thing."

Matt glared now. "Yes he can. You two are more alike than you think."

"You comparing me to that freak!?"

"No!"

"Then what are you trying to say!?"

"What I'm saying is that you should take into consideration that he's human like you!"

"He's nothing like me!"

"If you'd stop to think, you might be surprised!"

"I DO THINK!"

"APPARENTLY YOU DON'T!"

Mello found the will to calm down as he stared into the eyes hidden behind goggles. "You're really defending him, aren't you?"

Matt let out a long breath as his response.

Mello shook his head. "I can't believe you. You're actually DEFENDING him!?"

Matt glared. "I'm defending the fact that he and you feel the same things."

"Which is what!?"

Matt's glare softened. "Loneliness."

Mello was silent.

Which made Matt wonder just who he loved.


End file.
